It's For Your Own Good
by cumberbakery
Summary: Merlin have to leave Camelot when Uther sentence him to death after finding out about his magic and his relationship with Arthur. Arthur is left behind as a broken man. Written for Lilybells Contest-A-La-Palooza.   One-shot Merlin/Arthur


"It's for your own good, Arthur." A single tear rolled down Merlin's face as he said the words and put a hand against the glass dome Arthur was captured in. Arthur put his hand there as well, looking deep into Merlin's eyes.  
>"Please don't do this Merlin. There must be some other way."<br>"I'm so sorry Arthur, but this _is_ the only way." He looked down at his feet, and when he looked up to meet Arthur's pleading eyes again, tears was streaming freely down his face.  
>"I hope you can forgive me some day. And remember that I'll always love you Arthur, no matter what you'll do when this ends." Arthur felt tears running down his own face, and desperately began banging his hand on the unmovable and hard glass. "Merlin! Don't go!" Merlin was shaking from tears as he slowly turned around and walked out of the castle. "MERLIN!" Arthur put all is force in that scream, but Merlin didn't stop. Only when he was at the entrance to the huge castle did he turn around one last time and looked at the broken-hearted man.<p>

"_Goodbye Arthur, my love."_ Arthur let out a powerful roar as Merlin disappeared in a bright light. Completely broken, he leaned his back at the cold glass and sat down, sobbing.  
>"I love you too Merlin…" Hands in his face, he thought back to one of the last happy memories he had from being with Merlin.<p>

_Merlin took a deep breath. "I'm a sorcerer Arthur." Arthur smiled._

"_I know. You can't hide anything from me." He winked. Merlin looked stunned to say the least. "I- When?" was all he could say. "I've known for a month, maybe. But I don't care if you have magic or not, that doesn't change who you are." Merlin smiled, tears of joy burning his eyes. He leaned forward to hug Arthur, and they silently sat there a little while, simply being with each other._

Arthur smiled through his salty tears that wouldn't stop coming. Abruptly, he dropped the smile, thinking about why he was in this cold, cold glass dome.

_A few days later, they sat side by side on Arthur's bed talking about nothing and everything. "Hey, I've never seen you preform any magic! You should show me." Merlin smiled secretly. He stood up and helped Arthur up, going to the un-lit candles. He smiled at Arthur before putting his hand before the candles. "Forb__earnan" The candles lit up just as Merlin's eyes glowed gold, and Arthur couldn't keep the face of surprise of his face. Merlin smiled a small smile looking at Arthur. "Should I go on?" Arthur mentally shook himself, and nodded encouragingly. Merlin gave a small nod and replaced his hand back before the candles. Focusing, he once again spoke the strange language. "__Hoppaþ nu swicae swá lig flíehen" The gold returned in his eyes, put vanished as quickly as it had come. All at the same time, the three small flames lifted and danced around in the air. Arthur gasped and grabbed Merlin's shirt. "I've- I've never seen anything like it. It's… Breathtaking." Merlin smiled smugly, patting Arthur's back. Being the man he was, Arthur would never refer to fire as 'beautiful'._

_A strange sound by the door sounded, almost like someone tripping, and both of them turned, Merlin losing his concentration and dropping the airborne flames. A small man threw up the door and sprinted out, realizing he had been seen. Merlin and Arthur looked at each other with horror in their eyes, and ran after the man. Like they had feared, he ran straight to the throne room where Arthur's father would be. The small man had quite a lead and reached the room long before either Merlin or Arthur could get there. When Arthur finally reached the slightly open doors he could hear the feared words, and more. _

"_You were right Sire, the prince and his manservant seem to have relationship." At this, Uther shook his head in disbelief. "But I discovered something even worse Sire. Merlin, his servant, is a sorcerer." Uther gasped. "I saw it with my own eyes, My Lord." The spy bowed deeply and went to stand by the wall when Arthur stormed through the doors. Merlin came in after him, knowing that this would be the end of it all. "Arthur! Step away from the boy. Guards!" Uther had never sounded so angry before. At his words, a handful of guards rushed inside.  
>"Arrest the boy! He is to be burned, slowly, by the stake, tomorrow at noon." Arthur could not believe this was happening. "Father, you can't do this! I beg you, he has done nothing wrong!"<br>"Do not defy me, Arthur! This is not your choice to make." Uther was turning red with his fury. Arthur turned to Merlin who was being held back by the guards. _

"_Arthur!" The prince looked tormented as he ran towards Merlin but was caught by two other guards. "Merlin! I love you…" The dictator king hit his fist at his throne and screamed. "Arthur! Gain some sense! I realize this was far worse than I first thought. He is being burned within the hour."_

_Arthur kept clawing at the guards in a losing attempt to get to Merlin. "I love you too Arthur. Don't worry, it will be alright." He smiled a tearful smile. Arthur was devastated. "How can you be so sure?" He cried openly, and a lot. Merlin smiled again. "Trust me." He whispered, and smiled again. _

_Without any warning, he pulled his hands forward, and spoke a spell from the Old English with a powerful voice. His eyes glowed gold, and the guards and the king was knocked unconscious. Arthur ran to Merlin, kissing him desperately. _

"_I'm sorry Arthur, but I'm leaving and you can't come." Arthur looked stunned, then smiled unbelievingly. "Of course I'm coming, Merlin. I'm not letting you go." He looked more and more doubtful. _

"_No, Arthur. I will surely die if I stay, and you need to become king and unite the land of Albion, returning magic back to the realm." He smiled once again through tears and stroke the prince's cheek. "It is your destiny."  
>"Merlin, you can't leave me-"<em>

"_I'll come back one day, when you're king." He kissed Arthur softly on the lips for the last time, then turned around and began walking. Arthur couldn't just watch him go. After a few agonizing minutes he made his decision. He ran to the entrance to the grand castle where he found Merlin and grabbed his hand. "I'm coming with you." Merlin looked so tormented, so sad when he answered. "I'm sorry Arthur." He cast a powerful spell again, this time making a glass dome fall around Arthur. "You have to bring peace to this land, Arthur. And I have to leave, there is no place for me here. Will you please tell Gaius I love him like a father?" Arthur nodded, swallowing back most of his tears. "Be brave Arthur." Merlin looked at the doors. "Please Merlin…" _

"_It's for your own good Arthur." _

With more tears then ever, Arthur cried and cried, until night settled and the dome splintered into a thousand small pieces. Arthur didn't know what to do, there was nothing left of him.

Then he remembered.

Shaking, he stood up. He was going to do this for Merlin. He would come back one day, and magic would be accepted. _Merlin_ would be accepted. But most importantly, they could be together and nothing would stop him from making Merlin's dream come true.


End file.
